Snazaroo - FAQ

All photos and text including the contents of the frequently asked questions are protected by copyright. You may not reprint these in any written form without the express written permission of the artist or in the case of text, the written permission of Gary Cole of SNAZAROO USA Inc.

This is a growing list, first sort by area (painting, business building, product, learning, misc.) and then on your particular question. Just click on the question line and you will go to the FAQ.

Of course you can. Face painting is surprisingly easy. Anyone can create a professional looking face with little practice. Most faces that you will paint will take less than 5 minutes. Of course there are some tricks to the trade 1) start off with good products to paint with 2) use good tools like face painting sponges and brushes 3) when using a sponge use as little water as possible 4) apply the product like shoe polish to get basic coverage and then dab your sponge to get the color uniform 5) paint light color first and 6) practice. Check out our "10 Commandments to Face Painting by clicking here".

How do I start face painting?

To create the sort of faces you see on these pages, you need to begin by obtaining some water make-up. This is the sort of face paint that professionals use. Our paint is water make-up. If you don't want to buy huge amounts of single colors, start with one of the Snazaroo face painting kits. You could also get hold of a face painting book. Snazaroo books can be ordered from us or bookshops and provide step-by-step instructions.

The best way to join in this art is to jump in and try it out. Buy some safe products that fit in your budget. See http://www.snazaroo.us/products.htm for the selection. You can start out with as little as $14.99 (the rainbow pallet) to the larger kits. Join the discussion list by sending an e-mail to join-facepaint@email.sparklist.com join in the photo contests. You will learn a great deal and they are free.

see http://www.snazaroo.us/email.htm to sign up for the face painter's discussion list
see http://www.snazaroo.us/learn.htm learn step by step instructions
see http://www.snazaroo.us/products.htm to see the product line
see http://www.snazaroo.us/volume.htm to see our products for professionals or amusement parks
see http://www.snazaroo.us/cafeteria.htm to see our personalized kits for volume painters
see http://www.snazaroo.us/buy.htm for help in helping you buy the right size kit for your event
see http://www.snazaroo.us/w.htm for guidelines for wholesale purchasing
see http://www.snazaroo.us/10.htm for the ten commandments of face painting
see http://www.snazaroo.us/photos.htm for hundreds of photos on face painting

Isn't it very expensive?

If you buy eight 75ml pots and only intend to paint at a children's party for about 10 people, then it could be expensive. But it would be silly to do that because our face painting kits are the cheap way to buy a small amount of a selection of colors. Even when buying retail you can paint a full face for less than $.05 US each.

How safe are the face paints?

They are as safe as any other cosmetic product you use. All our products are formulated using cosmetically approved ingredients. That means that all the ingredients we use are widely recognized as safe for use in cosmetics and toiletries. The paints conform to the USA's FDA approval system and the European Cosmetic Product (Safety) Regulations. Our products are also tested to meet European the Toy Safety regulations (EN71). All cosmetics can, on rare occasions, cause allergic reactions and the product should not be applied in the immediate eye area nor to sensitive or broken skin. If you are unsure about sensitivity, a patch test is advised. Apply the product to the inside of the elbow. If a reaction occurs within 60 minutes, do not use. See also http://www.snazaroo.us/safety.htm

Do Snazaroo face paints contain Lanolin or Nut Oil?

No, neither. Some people are allergic to nuts and nut oils and need to check products carefully. Some people believe that lanolin (produced from sheep's wool) causes allergic reactions but this has been widely disputed. The word 'lanolin' appears on our ingredient listing (PEG-75 lanolin)because we use a derivative of lanolin. That means that we use an ingredient that is made by chemically changing pure lanolin. There is no reason to assume that an allergy to lanolin will mean an allergy to PEG-75 lanolin. HOWEVER. If you know you are allergic to some cosmetics, or if you are at all worried, you should carry out a patch test. Apply the product to the inside of the elbow. If a reaction occurs within 60 minutes, do not use.

How can I get my face painting business going?

Put your business card up all over town on bulletin boards.
Run a small ad.
Make a flyer and hand it out to store managers in your area.
Do some free work at high exposure areas like malls (have a tip bucket while you are there).
Buy booths at local carnivals and charge by the face.
Call party planners in your area (they mark up your rates)
Post some signs up around town.
Paint faces at local college or professional football games.
Be on the lookout for fundraising events (give 20% of your take for the opportunity)
Put out cards EVERYWHERE YOU PAINT.
Find local events where people take their children and ask permission to set up your table (adopt a pet, YMCA, base ball or soccer field, etc)
Network, tell those that you come in contact with that you do face painting for parties or corporate events and fairs.

You also can start out working for tips. In an area where there is lots of traffic. You can earn $15 to $20 per hour on tips. You just need to be a bit obvious on your tip jar. Make sure it is allowed. Post your business cards in an obvious place and pass them out liberally. If your work is good and fast you'll pick up opportunities. Make sure you have a mix also. Don't think you will pick up work only on one side of the track. All children love face painting. And most parents like to spoil their kids. As you get more exposure in these areas you'll have money to pay for supplies and a couple small ads. Slowly but surely you'll pick up some corporate accounts which will become your bread and butter. Don't under price yourself and don't get to greedy. Work on your quality first and then your speed. Start out with 10 faces that you can do real quickly but look real good. As you improve your technique you can add faces to your repertoire of skills. Keep your area as clean as possible because a messy/dirty area will loose future opportunities.